INTRODUCTION
This Executive Summary provides a concise synopsis of nine key priorities that are recommended for Colorado
to ensure the state’s water future. These synopses have been reviewed by all panelists and all agree that these nine
areas must be part of any discussion of Colorado’s water future. The panelists believe that an opportunity exists to
consider the feasibility and value of these proposals and to begin implementation, concurrent with other ongoing
statewide programs, including the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI), House Bill 1177 basin roundtables,
and conservation planning workshops. One fact is clear to nearly all panel members; without systematic and
cooperative planning, water development will occur with many unintended and problematic consequences.
Appendix A is a technical report on topics discussed during the initial panel meeting, followed by supplemental
information and individual panel member comments. In some cases, Appendix A includes diverse viewpoints on
each topic considered by the panel and may not always be completely consistent with the Executive Summary. The
panel believes that presenting the healthy exchange of opinions will be helpful as the state considers its approaches
to addressing its water challenges.
June 27, 2007
Dear Citizens of Colorado:
270 St. Paul Street,
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80206
303.871.2122
Fax 303.871.3770
We believe that Colorado can realize a sustainable water future. We see a future that protects our water resources, promotes
our economy, preserves our natural environment, and ensures that Colorado’s rural heritage remains a legacy for generations to
come. To protect water needs for our environment, businesses, cities and agriculture, we must begin now to address problems
forecasted 20 years and longer into the future.
Colorado continues to be an attractive place for families to live and the demand for water will continue to grow. This expanding
demand statewide combined with existing patterns of use, population concentrations along the Front Range, the variable spatial
and temporal distribution patterns of supply, the continuing public interest in water for the environment, and the uncertainty
created by projections of future climate effects present unique challenges for defining a framework for meeting all of Colorado’s
water needs.
Cities in Colorado are making great progress in water conservation. Even with this success, in the not too distant future, several
studies predict the Front Range municipalities will require an additional demand of two to three times the amount of water
currently delivered by Denver Water, the largest municipal water agency in the state. In addition, other regions within the state
anticipate a growth in future water demands for a variety of purposes. To meet this need, some changes to existing use of water
must be considered, including extensive conservation, reuse, and carefully structured reductions or optimization of agricultural
uses.
These are broad and complex issues. The University of Denver assembled a diverse group of community leaders to collaboratively
develop strategies to assist with the statewide responsibility to be good “water stewards.” The attached report summarizes our
observations and provides strategies for overcoming challenges we face in developing a sustainable plan for our state’s water
future. To achieve this plan, we must take action now. Doing nothing is not a viable option.
While there are major challenges, the panel believes Colorado can have a sustainable water future where no economic,
agricultural, geographic, or environmental sector has to lose at the expense of another’s interests. The panel found that by
increasing conservation throughout the state, making some relatively modest changes to optimize how we use our water today,
and utilizing Colorado’s compact allotments, we can meet future demands without sacrificing one sector of the state for the
benefit of another. To do so will require that we work together as a state, and not allow one region or one set of interests to be
pitted against another.
Our report includes nine key proposals:
1. Embrace fairness, trust, respect, and openness as core values in water planning.
2. Encourage an ethic of water conservation including region strategies.
3. Encourage partnerships between urban and agricultural water users by creating new conceptual models for municipal and
agricultural water users to make water available for municipal use while supporting the cultural and economic importance
of agriculture.
4. Manage non-native, water-loving trees in our riparian habitats. Non-native species like tamarisk and Russian olive use
surprisingly large quantities of water.
5. Streamline processes of the Water Court to facilitate decision-making.
6. Encourage an integrated statewide perspective on water storage and infrastructure projects.
7. Facilitate cooperation between river basins to maximize yield and ensure flexibility and integration of facilities.
8. Establish statewide contingency plans for potential climate change or long-term drought scenarios.
9. Maintain healthy rivers and instream flows.
Each of these nine action steps is described in greater detail in the attached report. In addition to this executive summary,
Appendix A, which is also available on-line at www.du.edu\waterfutures, provides technical information related to the panel
deliberations, including discussion of points where the panel was not in full agreement. Finally, Appendix B includes a copy of
the background information provided to the DU Water Futures Panelists prior to their first meeting on November 3-4, 2006.
Appendix B is available at www.du.edu\waterfutures.
This report is being released statewide to help begin the process of developing a common understanding and appreciation of
the water issue and its importance to the future of Colorado. Thank you for taking the time to consider this important issue.
Working together, we will be able to meet our future water needs without compromising our ability to maintain our strong
and diverse economy or sacrificing the water environment in Colorado.
Respectfully submitted by the DU Forum Panelists,
Daniel Ritchie,
Co-Chairman, Chancellor Emeritus,
University of Denver
Ralph Peterson,
Co-Chairman, Chairman and CEO,
CH2M HILL
Chuck Berry, President, Colorado
Association of Commerce and Industry
Gail Klapper, Managing Attorney, The
Klapper Firm
Honorable Ernie Blake, Mayor of
Breckenridge
Rebecca Love Kourlis, Executive
Director, Institute for the Advancement of
the American Legal System
Joe Blake, President and CEO, Denver
Metro Chamber of
Commerce and President and CEO,
Denver Economic Corporation
Reeves Brown, Executive Director,
CLUB 20
Hubert Farbes, Shareholder/
Attorney, Brownstein, Hyatt and Farber
Patrick Grant, President and CEO,
The Western Stock Show
Association
Honorable John Hickenlooper,
Mayor of Denver
Thomas Honig, Regional President and
CEO, Wells Fargo Bank
Rod Kuharich, Past Director, Colorado
Water Conservation Board, Executive
Director, South Metro Water Supply
Authority
Robert Sakata, Owner, Sakata Farms
Marguerite Salazar, President/CEO,
Valley Wide Health Systems
Rocky Scott, Principal/President,
Centerra Community, McWhinney
Enterprises
Harris Sherman, Director,
Department of Natural Resources
Chetter Latcham, President, Colorado
Division of Shea Homes
Honorable Ed Tauer, Mayor of Aurora
Bill Long, Entrepreneur, Bent
County Commissioner, and President
of the Southeastern Colorado Water
Conservancy District
Bill Trampe, Manager, Trampe Family
Ranch, and Founding Director, The
Gunnison Ranchland Conservation
Legacy
Bennett Raley, Attorney, Trout, Raley,
Montaño, Witwer & Freeman, P.C.
Albert C. Yates, President Emeritus,
Colorado State University
Honorable Lionel Rivera, Mayor of
Colorado Springs
EMBRACING FAIRNESS, TRUST, RESPECT, AND
OPENNESS IN WATER SUPPLY PLANNING
Observations
One of the panel’s earliest and most broadly supported
conclusions is that effective water resources planning in
Colorado must be built around a foundation of trust,
mutual respect, openness, and inclusiveness.
Water agency and stakeholder interactions in the
Western United States have not often been characterized
by these traits. Contentiousness has frequently
sidetracked progress. If we as a state are to optimize
the use of our water resources, which is essential to
meeting future water demands, we need to learn to work
together with the common purpose of addressing our
water needs in a sustainable fashion – taking steps today
that enhance rather than limit the choices of future
generations. Challenges to developing trust are most
acute in projects involving more than one river basin
or involving agricultural and urban entities. Developing
trust is a process, not an event. Long-term, sustained
effort and conscientiousness among many entities are
ENCOURAGING WATER CONSERVATION
Observations
required, guided by respect for the differing interests
that such entities may legitimately embrace.
Part of this necessity of trust is driven by legal, political,
and future water supply shortage realities. Also, as societal
values have changed and environmental awareness and
greater appreciation of in-stream uses have developed,
the legal framework has adapted to empower these
changing values. The result is that a determined and
well-financed group can almost indefinitely delay or stop
a given project that does not have widespread support.
The State of Colorado has recognized the need for
open planning processes, with all major stakeholder
groups having a “seat at the table,” in its SWSI and HB1177 planning processes. Similar processes are being
used successfully in other states in the Colorado River
Basin and indeed across the country. The requirement
for new types of relationships and interactions among
entities is clear.
As a semi-arid state with a history of serious droughts,
Colorado needs to expand its efforts to embrace a
permanent water conservation ethic for all water
users, to develop a culture of conservation. Urban
water conservation and water efficiency efforts have
made significant progress and have nearly unanimous
support among Colorado residents as one way to
address water supply challenges proactively. Even
with significant progress, there are opportunities to
encourage more conservation, including identification
of water lost through leaking distribution systems,
improving water use efficiency and use patterns, and
reuse of water where permissible. Conservation efforts
and efficiency improvements of irrigation water are less
widely practiced, often more expensive, and contain
unique challenges. Without real economic incentives
for agriculture, the potential for significant changes
in agricultural efficiency is low. Meeting Colorado’s
urban water demands will require some transfer
of irrigation water to urban use. Conservation and
irrigation efficiency improvements are elements of an
integrated and holistic approach to meeting Colorado’s
needs and may facilitate movement of irrigation water
to municipal use while minimizing impacts in the
agricultural and ranching communities.
Challenges and Limitations
Challenges and Limitations
The challenge to elected and appointed leaders in Colorado is to continue to fund (it is expensive to include extensive
dialog in the planning process) and have the patience to be inclusive in its planning processes. For an atmosphere of
trust and respect as discussed herein to be created, a consistent, long-term process of interactions must occur.
To some extent, Coloradans have demonstrated more willingness to conserve during times of drought than in
average water years. Water providers are facing a challenge of instilling an “ethic of conservation” during both
drought and average years. Many water providers are aggressively addressing water conservation with deliberate
programs and plans; however, developing a better understanding of conservation practices (and their relative
effectiveness) would improve the potential for conservation to have a significant impact on the state’s water needs.
Components will vary among water providers, however uniformity and consistency where applicable send a clearer
message and align political will.
SUGGESTED STEPS TO FOLLOW:
Continue to fund SWSI and use the involvement
processes of HB-1177 and HB 1385 with the goal
of promoting a statewide effort for meeting
Colorado’s present and future water demands.
The state should continue to be proactive to
ensure maximum efficiency among user groups
like the Front Range cities or agricultural
users in selected river basins. Maximization of
efficient use of water builds trust and goodwill
among all competing water user groups.
As it currently stands, Colorado water law provides little incentive for agricultural users to improve the efficiency of
their systems. Water delivered to agriculture that is not lost to evaporation or incorporated into the crops remains
within a river system as a return flow. Return flows are considered to be part of the public’s water resource, and are
not a part of an individual user’s water right. Therefore, the only part of an agricultural delivery that can be sold
or transferred to another water user is the consumptive use. The United States Geological Survey has estimated
that an average of 37 percent of the water delivered statewide to agriculture is actually consumed. In addition,
conservation of agricultural water in water-short systems, which are common in the Arkansas and Platte River
basins, will not necessarily reduce total consumptive uses or increase the water supply available for municipal use.
Conservation measures in these systems may instead allow agricultural users to meet a greater proportion of their
total demands because the same quantity of water can be used at a higher rate of consumption.
ENCOURAGING PARTERSHIPS BETWEEN URBAN
AND AGRICULTURAL WATER USERS
ENCOURAGING WATER CONSERVATION (CONTINUED)
Observations
Both cities and agricultural water users are working to overcome social and political barriers that have presented
historical challenges to working together, such as the fear of permanent loss of water for irrigation if it is shared with
cities. However, studies by SWSI and others show that significant reductions in agricultural deliveries are possible
through the following:
entities in the Arkansas basin are examples that provide
insight upon creative partnership formation.
• Install more efficient irrigation practices such as drip irrigation on new crops that have reduced consumptive
use demand.
Water demands in urban areas throughout Colorado are
increasing due to growth pressures. With this prospect in
mind, it is merely a matter of when and how the agricultural
and urban water users participate in water transfers. The
challenge is to construct an integrated exchange system
that provides mutual benefits. An over-riding concern of
the panel was preservation of the farming and agricultural
heritage of the state, while enabling continued economic
development in urban areas.
• Make certain modifications to the delivery system that reduce evaporative losses (may require a statutory
change)
This approach is not without precedent in Colorado.
Several recent agreements between the City of Aurora and
The City of Aurora has worked to find mutually beneficial
ways to transfer water between the City and the Arkansas
Valley communities. Some examples follow.
• Encourage and enable rotational fallowing, where a group of growers pools their resources and agrees to
follow blocks of acreage on a season-by-season basis.
An agreement between the Upper Arkansas Water
Conservancy District and Aurora provides management
of water resources for the Arkansas River basin. Within
this agreement, Aurora operates its system to remove
the 1874 call of the Rocky Ford Ditch for the benefit of
junior diverters within the basin.
• In the late 1980s Aurora purchased 8,000 acre-feet of water for the City’s use.
– Before Aurora could use a drop of the water, the City agreed to revegetate 4,100 acres of land that had been
irrigated with this water.
– Aurora agreed to make payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) to Otero County to mitigate impacts to the tax
base.
• In the late 1990s, Aurora worked with Rocky Ford area farmers to purchase 5,000 acre-feet of water
for the City’s use. In addition to previous mitigation activities, Aurora instituted a continued farming
program with selling farmers.
– In 2004, Aurora paid Rocky Ford area farmers $1,400 per acre to install drip irrigation systems, thus
allowing farmers to continue to farm with efficient irrigation technology.
– Aurora provides a portion of the purchased water back to the farmers, using the remainder for the City.
– In addition to PILT payments to the County, Aurora has mitigated tax base losses with a payment of $1.5
million to the local school district.
OPPORTUNITIES
As discussed above, it is essential that Colorado begin to
develop a culture of conservation in both urban and agricultural
areas within the state. Because agricultural deliveries in
Colorado are about eight times that of urban use, savings of
some portion of the consumptive use of agricultural irrigation
will partially meet projected demands of the Front Range
cities. Urban areas need to maximize conservation practices
to reduce the quantity of new water required to support the
expected growth. To advance these strategies, the state
could do the following:
Conservation Board for loan applicants. Also, incentives
should be provided for municipal water providers to conduct
integrated resource planning that examines all opportunities
for maximizing existing supplies, including more conservation
and reuse.
• Initiate a detailed statewide evaluation of irrigation uses and
potential savings, the required infrastructure to transport water
to urban areas, and potentially new financing mechanisms.
• Consider legal and institutional changes so that farmers
• Encourage projects or studies that provide accurate
assessments of the quantity of water that could be saved by
maximizing efficiency of urban water use statewide.
• The state should consider imposing a mandate that all
municipal water providers have approved water conservation
plans, akin to the current requirement of the Colorado Water
and ranchers can benefit from changes in irrigation practices
that improve efficiency, while maintaining historical return
flow patterns. This would provide long-term protection of
the state’s rural economies by sustaining current agricultural
production with less water consumption.
• In 2003, Aurora implemented a 2-year temporary leasing (water leasing) of agricultural water
(consumptive use) to the City using a Temporary Substitute Supply Plan. This pilot leasing-fallowing
program included 160 farmers who negotiated to lease water to Aurora.
– This provided drought protection for Aurora.
– There was no permanent dry-up of farmland.
– This agreement provided much needed fi nances to the farmer.
• In 2006, Aurora supported successful legislation to provide for the leasing/fallowing of agricultural
lands.
A couple of studies have recently been initiated that will further evaluate the possibility of sharing of water between
cities and farms. These are 1) a study to be conducted by Colorado State University sponsored by Parker Water and
Sanitation District to examine potential impacts of agricultural conservation programs and rural-to-urban water
transfers in the Lower South Platte River Valley, and 2) a study related to the establishment of a water entity that
will serve as a clearinghouse for farmers who practice rotational crop management practices, or fallowing, and then
lease a portion of their water to municipal and urban water providers. The concept and potential new authority
has been labeled the “Super Ditch.”
ENCOURAGING PARTERSHIPS BETWEEN URBAN
AND AGRICULTURAL WATER USERS (CONTINUED)
ERADICATION OF NON-NATIVE PHREATOPHYTES
Challenges and Limitations
Observations
Creating and implementing a new model to facilitate
the new uses and partnering for water use would face
legal, social, and political challenges. However, a
framework that would allow long-term leasing and
successful transfers between agricultural and municipal
users requires a fresh approach.
For example, a water bank concept could facilitate the
efficient sharing and/or exchanges between agricultural
and municipal users. The following financial incentives
could be considered as part of the water-banking
approach:
Phreatophytes are terrestrial plant species that thrive
under shallow water table conditions by extending
their roots to the phreatic (water-saturated) zone.
Many of these species are considered invasive and nonnative, and use significant quantities of water through
evapotranspiration. Tamarisk (also known as salt cedar)
is an exotic drought- and flood-tolerant, small, shrubby
tree that was introduced into the Southwestern United
States near the beginning of the 20th Century. This
plant consumes large quantities of water and deposits
salt into the soil. The plant thrives in mostly salty soils
and reproduces quickly via the hundreds of millions of
wind-blown seeds produced by each plant annually.
Another non-native species that also uses a significant
quantity of water is the Russian olive tree.
• Compensation to those growers participating in
rotational fallowing programs.
• Compensation to install more efficient irrigation
equipment.
• Payments for irrigation scheduling to reduce
applied water.
The overall challenge is creating the institutional
structure to support pilot testing of the water bank
or similar concept, and whether this represents an
opportunity for public-private partnerships.
OPPORTUNITIES
Use of a model where growers are compensated at competitively
negotiated market prices for saved water (and assured of
no loss of long-term water rights) results in a major infusion
of capital into rural counties of Colorado, while at the same
time, provides cities with a competitive and reliable source of
future water supply. Next steps to evaluate the feasibility of this
approach could include the following:
• Evaluate whether and to what extent Colorado water rights
laws need to be clarified to assure participants that their
historical water rights will be protected even if their actual
water use diminishes.
• Conduct scientific analysis to determine how much of the
consumptive use portion of water, if any, could be saved from
modified farming practices. Evaluate the required infrastructure
to collect and transport water to the new point of use.
• Identify current barriers (legal, social, and political) to enabling
a market-based approach to the transfer of water between
users.
• Develop and implement a well-thought-out model on a pilot
scale in one basin within the state.
• Encourage a group of panel participants to work with Department
of Natural Resources in this initiative. Several panel members are
interested in working as a small group in developing a model and
criteria to enable these partnerships to become effective.
effects of invasive plant species on the ecosystem as an
agency priority through Executive Order 13112. Over
40 linear miles and over 10,000 acres of the Canyon
de Chelly National Monument have been invaded by
tamarisk and Russian olive, threatening the stability of
the canyon road system and creating fire hazards. The
National Park Service has treated approximately 1,000
acres of tamarisk infestation in the Canyon de Chelly
National Monument by cutting stumps or removing
roots, applying herbicide, and slash burning. Removal
of tamarisk from the infested areas has allowed native
species to re-establish themselves naturally. However,
other studies indicate that active revegetation with
native species is required to prevent re-infestation.
In 1970, it was estimated that tamarisk occupied more
than 1 million acres of riparian habitat in the West.
Current estimates are that the plant may occupy as
much as 2 million acres in the Western United States.
Estimates of water consumption by these species vary
widely. Studies indicate that the consumption throughout
the Southwestern United States is in the range of 2 to
4.5 million acre-feet per year. In Colorado, it has been
estimated that 55,000 acres have been infected with
an estimated consumption of 170,000 acre-feet. Left
uncontained, the species will continue to spread, and
water consumption by non-native species will continue
to increase.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has evaluated
biological control methods for tamarisk, including a
mealybug (Trabutina mannipara) and a leaf-feeding beetle
(Diorhabda elongata), with promising results. However,
due to concerns over protection of the endangered
southwestern willow flycatcher bird, the Environmental
Assessment for the release of the two insects was delayed.
The endangered bird has adapted to nest in tamarisk
trees because the trees have displaced willow trees.
Concerns have been raised that no trees would grow in
place of the tamarisk trees if they were removed, and
thus the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher
bird would be negatively impacted by efforts to control
tamarisk infestations.
Several removal methods have been utilized. These
removal methods include physical/mechanical removal,
cutting, mulching and stump spraying, aerial spraying,
and using the tamarisk beetle to defoliate the plant. The
National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy
have both had positive and low-cost experience
eradicating tamarisk. Further, the U.S. Department
of the Interior has identified addressing the negative
Water savings resulting from eradication efforts with
the tamarisk becomes system water, meaning that the
water saved cannot be claimed by an individual entity
but rather becomes available to all users under the
appropriation doctrine. However, this additional water
can be obtained through moderately priced efforts,
and increases in water flows within the river basin are
certainly beneficial to all water users.
ERADICATION OF NON-NATIVE
PHREATOPHYTES (CONTINUED)
Challenges and Limitations
Creating a significant reduction in non-native phreatophytes’ water consumption would require eradication of
thousands of acres of tamarisks and other non-native phreatophytes. While this would likely receive broad-based
support from the conservation and environmental community, this expansive project would require sponsorship
and funding at the state and/or federal level. In addition, because any saved water becomes system water, there is
no apparent economic incentive for an individual water purveyor to provide financial support for this initiative.
OPPORTUNITIES
• Pursue the continuation and expansion of federal funding
for eradication of non-native phreatophytes. (While the cost
per acre-foot of water produced is small, the area where
eradication is needed is very large.) Some funding is likely
to be needed and can be justified in part because the major
rivers leaving Colorado are all shared by multiple states.
• Select a pilot basin for implementation to fine tune eradication
and revegetation methods.
• Plan for a statewide program after the benefits and
techniques are well understood.
• Consider changes to water law and/or river management
practices to create real economic incentives for non-native
phreatophyte removal that could increase the water supply
for Colorado water suppliers.
STREAMLINING WATER COURT
Observations
Water courts are currently overburdened and
understaffed, resulting in trial dates often being set
several years into the future. The current caseload
seems to be larger than what existing personnel can
handle.
During the January meeting of the panel, two
proposals received support from the panelists related
to potential changes intended to streamline the Water
Court Process. The first proposal was to appoint
special Masters to assist in conducting certain water
court proceedings. The Master could conduct hearings
and make recommended findings of fact on some
of the issues. The individual could be an engineer in
some instances, as technical knowledge in some water
related cases would be helpful. The benefit of such a
proposal would be to develop a procedure that could
save the current Water Judges time and could reduce
to some extent the logjam of cases currently in front
of the Water Court. This proposal and the procedure
indicated below were presented to several knowledgeable
individuals for comments, including current Colorado
Water Judges and Referees, Justice Gregory Hobbs on
behalf of the Colorado Supreme Court, State Engineer
Hal D. Simpson, and the Water Law Section of the
Colorado Bar Association. A detailed discussion of
their comments is included in Appendix A.
The second proposal of the panel was potential
establishment of an emergency process whereby the user
could obtain an immediate hearing before the referee or
Water Judge. This recommendation was made based on
circumstances known to some panel members in which
water users had need of rapid action by the Water Court
due to emergency circumstances. An example of this
type of dispute is review of a temporary augmentation
plan or change of use to get the user through the plantgrowing season. Again, responses to this proposal are
included in the location discussed above. Several other
specific suggestions were made by the commentators.
Challenges and Limitations
The fact that the Water Courts are overburdened and understaffed, often leading to extended periods of time for a
proceeding to take place, is almost universally agreed upon. However, the challenge exists in identifying proposed
solutions that will be acceptable for the key participants in the Water Court proceeding process. The participants
include Water Court Judges, attorneys representing the water users involved in the dispute, and water entities
seeking resolutions. Each of these participants has unique interests which they wish to protect. The overriding
concern is that the decision from the Water Court proceedings be just. Timeliness of the decision may be less
important to some of the participants than others. It is also extremely difficult to create changes to legal processes
and procedures that have been in place and have become institutionalized over many years.
OPPORTUNITIES
The panel understands that water cases in Colorado can
be complex, contentious, and time-consuming. However,
two proposals are made to streamline the process while still
ensuring just decisions.
and members of the Water Bar to design amendments to the
present system that would allow for:
a. emergency proceedings
1. Consider amending Rule 53 of the Colorado Rules of Civil
Procedure to permit the appointment of special Masters
in Water Court proceedings, upon request of one or more
parties to the case. The special Master could be an engineer,
retired judge, water lawyer, or others who have necessary
expertise to thoroughly and efficiently conduct certain parts
of the proceeding.
b. simplified proceedings for non-complex
disputed matters
2. Consider establishing a study group, consisting of a Water
Judge, a Water Referee, a representative from the State
Engineer’s Office, representatives of the General Assembly,
d. merging of some authority into the State Engineer’s
office to add flexibility to the Water Court system
c. changing the re-referral provisions to vest authority in
the Water Court and the referee to determine the necessity
of re-referral, rather than leaving the discretion with the
parties involved
ENCOURAGING STATEWIDE PERSPECTIVE ON
WATER STORAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Observations
Storage has historically been an essential component of
water supplies in the Western United States. In Colorado
alone, 1,879 reservoirs with a capacity of at least 100
acre-feet or a surface area of 20 acres currently exist.
These reservoirs hold an average of 6.8 million acrefeet of water. The need for additional water storage
was included in the consensus list of critical topics, but
not without debate and disagreement regarding the
potential effective yield of remaining storage sites. Some
on the panel stressed that the enlargement of existing
reservoirs, underground storage in groundwater basins,
off-stream or prairie reservoirs, and gravel pits should
be pursued whenever possible.
Challenges and Limitations
Future water projects being evaluated by Front Range
water utilities all involve some storage component,
either the enlargement or re-operation of an existing
reservoir, a new reservoir, storage in groundwater
basins, or development of gravel pits. The recent SWSI
study concludes that storage is an essential component of
meeting the future water supply gap and lists 11 benefits
of reservoir storage. Among the benefits is the need for
new storage reservoirs to protect and ultimately develop
the full Colorado allotment within existing compacts.
There is debate regarding the amount of Colorado’s
remaining allotment from the Colorado River Basin,
which could be as much as 400,000 acre-feet. The
figure above shows Historic Average Streamflows
leaving Colorado.
Development of new reservoirs requires long-range planning and faces major permitting challenges. Successful
development will benefit from broad-based support in the planning process, creating a need to plan and engineer
storage projects that provide multiple benefits and to the extent possible protect the local environment and
economy.
Development of water storage projects that involve the transbasin movement of water may create both beneficial
and adverse consequences to the environment and region from which water is transferred. Local, state, and federal
permitting processes and state and local statutes are designed to protect identified interests from adverse impacts.
Providing for appropriate protection for affected regions, while still creating the overall benefit such projects
often afford can be achieved, but requires a high degree of cooperation among the entities that are impacted and
benefit.
Annual Discharges
This figure represents flows in the Colorado
River near the Colorado-Utah state line
that demonstrates the extreme variability of
flows between months and years. This graph
highlights that it is necessary to capture
flows during the May-July runoff period for
use during the remaining 9 months of the
year. Also, storage of water during wet and
average years is critical to provide water for
all uses during the dry periods, sometimes
extending for several years, which have
historically occurred with the region.
OPPORTUNITIES
• Identify and prioritize projects, which may include storage
sites, that enable Colorado to utilize its full compact allocation
and will accommodate the concerns of environmental
and conservation groups, and local governments and
jurisdictions.
• Encourage arrangements between existing institutions
within Colorado to plan and develop the storage vessels
and associated interconnection infrastructure that serve
multiple water suppliers, create economies of scale, receive
broad-based support, and are effective from a storage/yield
standpoint.
• Develop a workable framework to encourage improved
cooperation among the numerous utilities and water
management entities.
FACILITATING COOPERATION BETWEEN RIVER BASINS
Observations
The areas of highest potential population growth and
therefore water demands are on the eastern side of the
Continental Divide, in the South Platte and Arkansas
River Basins (see figure). Recognizing not all panelists
accept some of the findings of the SWSI Report, it
does provide estimates of water supply needs for the
various river basins in the state. The report estimates
statewide demand for municipal and industrial usage
will increase by 730,000 acre-feet at current usage, and
630,000 acre-feet with enhanced conservation by 2030.
The report estimates future municipal and industrial
demands of 410,000 acre-feet and 98,000 acre-feet
within the South Platte and Arkansas River Basins,
respectively, by 2030 with enhanced conservation.
Interbasin and transmountain diversions and transfers
have been used in Colorado for decades, and the State
Engineer’s Office lists 32 transmountain diversions,
as shown below. The first major water law decision in
Colorado supported this action in 1872. The situation
of water demands being large in areas where adequate
supplies do not exist is a common occurrence in the
Western United States.
Colorado’s eight major river basins and the expected
increase in gross M&I water use in acre-feet per year
by the year 2030 with enhanced conservation
Challenges/Limitations
Some protections for the basin of origin of river basin diversions exist in state law. However, the level and extent
of protection that these statutes and regulations provide is a controversial topic throughout the state. Nonetheless,
meeting the long-term water supply needs in Colorado may include some additional diversions, and implementation
of these types of projects will require new trust and cooperation between affected basins. The January 19, 2007,
technical report (Appendix A) provides a complete discussion of existing statutes and regulations within the State
of Colorado related to transbasin diversions.
OPPORTUNITIES
During the course of our discussions, there was considerable
debate among the panelists regarding the necessity and
future for transbasin diversions. The panelists recognize that
transbasin diversions are an important aspect of the water
supply infrastructure that currently exists in Colorado, but
the panel could not develop a consensus opinion regarding
the need, timing, and guidance framework for future
transbasin diversions. Some panelists believe that transbasin
diversions should be considered only after exhausting other
supply options, but the panel was not able to conclude what
factors would be considered to determine when transbasin
diversions may be appropriate. Other panelists felt that
additional transbasin diversions are inevitable. Without
a clear framework for cooperation between the various
river basins in the state, decisions regarding the validity of
transbasin diversions will likely be made with a parochial
view-point, potentially blocking sharing of water resources
for the collective good of Colorado.
Appendix A includes a discussion on transbasin diversions
and panelist opinions. The Colorado Water for the 21st
Century Act (HB-1177) set up a framework that provided a
forum for broad-based water discussions. It created two
new structures: 1) nine independent Basin Roundtables and
2) The Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC), a statewide
committee that addresses issues between basins. The
IBCC will be using the SWSI Report, which has identified
that “future demands in basins will outstrip all available water
rights within the various basins.”
The panel believes that the state should encourage
institutional cooperation in sharing of existing and new
facilities when such cooperation will enhance the value of
projects for multiple entities or jurisdictions along the Front
Range. Maximizing the overall project benefit and water
yield should be the overarching priority.
PLANNING FOR POTENTIAL
CLIMATE CHANGE AND DROUGHT
Observations
Climate change is a relatively new consideration that
would create new challenges for water utilities. Some
believe that if climate change is a reality, the effect on
mountain regions will be particularly significant. The
U.S. Global Change Research Program (2000) reported
with “very high confidence that climate change would
greatly reduce snowpack in the Rocky Mountains. Not
only is the climate expected to be warmer overall, but
temperatures are expected to increase more in winter
than in summer, more at night than in the day, and
more in the mountains than at lower elevations – all
leading to less snow.” Researchers at the National
Center for Atmospheric Research recently developed
a climate model demonstrating how climate change
could impact runoff, snowpack, and other variables in
the Colorado River Basin. Their results predict a 14 to
17 percent reduction in runoff in the Colorado River.
We need only to look at the Australian continent today
to see the impact of extreme drought. Some areas are in
the “eleventh year of a 10-year drought,” and in some
instances, storage is available for only about 11 percent
of annual demand. Strategies are being considered by
city leaders for:
Challenges and Limitations
It has been reported that Brisbane may get as low
as 5 percent of dam capacity prior to the time new
desalination plants and recycled water projects will be
completed.
On January 29, Australia’s Prime Minister John
Howard announced a national initiative to take over
management of a drought-stricken basin, which is home
to 2 million people and 80 percent of the country’s
irrigated farmland.
This proposal is likely to be very controversial and
result in debate of several of its components including:
• Investment to improve efficiency of agricultural
irrigation.
Various predictions have been proffered regarding the potential for global or regional climate change, which could
increase the intensity and duration of drought cycles. The old planning paradigm (the historical record) may not
serve us well in the future, and that increasing uncertainty must be matched with increased system and institutional
flexibility as well as a broader menu of the means of adapting to this uncertainty. This creates a difficult challenge
for the state’s water planners and will likely force many Colorado water suppliers to question their previous
assumptions regarding “firm yield,” or the amount of water an entity has to withstand a severe drought period.
This could significantly change the way that water supply systems are designed and operated, and forces water
suppliers to consider this risk factor as part of their long-term resource planning.
There is no well-accepted methodology for planners to assess this risk, but over-estimating the risk creates a need
for new supply projects and related infrastructure, and under-estimating the risk creates a potential water supply
crisis. Development of a uniform approach to addressing this risk is probably not realistic or even appropriate. In
addition, distinct groups of water users, such as municipalities, business and industry, the ski industry, ranchers
and farmers, and environmental groups will disagree on priorities in planning for impacts of climate change and
drought.
• Address over-allocation of water to some long
term users.
• Cap surface and groundwater use in the basin.
• Stage 5 water restrictions in Brisbane. These
will commence on April 10, 2007, with an aim of
limiting water consumption to 140 liters/person/day
(37 gallons/person/day).
• A water grid is the government’s response to
connect South East Queensland with a number of
source waters (surface, groundwater, desalinated
ocean water, and recycled) such that water
can be moved between cities and districts. The
current storage in South East Queensland is at
21 percent. This gives about 18 months of
storage at Level 5 restricted water use. Level 5
restrictions mainly impact outdoor water use for
homes by reducing the number of days people can
water gardens with buckets from 3 to 2. Level
5 restrictions also prohibit washing vehicles,
caravans, and boats.
OPPORTUNITIES
In many respects, the nation is becoming more attuned to
the potential impact of climate change. Likewise, many water
users are concerned about potential for severe droughts
and are looking for ways to minimize their impacts. This
could help contribute to consensus that Colorado and other
Southwestern states should be taking practical steps to plan
ahead. Colorado could play a pivotal role in preparing a plan
that includes the best science and brings together water users
from various regions and water communities. As part of an
integrated resource planning approach, all medium to large
water suppliers that depend on storage or reusable supplies
should consider “sensitivity” analyses to determine how their
systems would respond to protracted drought and confirm
with their communities how much investment should be made
in drought protection measures.
MAINTAINING HEALTHY RIVERS
AND INSTREAM FLOWS
Observations
Vibrant and flowing rivers and streams are essential to
defi ning Colorado’s uniqueness. Rivers make the state an
attractive, enjoyable place to live, work and visit. Colorado is
the headwaters for the Colorado, Arkansas, Rio Grande and
Platte River, and in total, there are more than 95,000 miles
of rivers and streams in the state. Maintaining a minimum
flow in rivers (known as instream flows) provides an essential
component to maintaining healthy aquatic habitat. The
flows in these rivers and streams also support the riparian
habitat that wildlife depends on. The recently passed House
Bill 1177 allows basins to evaluate need and priorities of
instream flows or “non-consumptive needs assessments”
(NCNA). The Colorado Department of Natural Resources’
Interbasin Compact Committee is helping the basins with
this evaluation and has set a goal to produce a prioritized
set of needs by the end of 2008. In addition, our economy
benefits from maintaining instream flows in rivers, which is
critical for fishing, rafting and other recreational and tourism
industries. Cities such as Golden have enhanced the quality
of their communities by maintaining instream flows through
their parks and recreational areas.
Challenges and Limitations
Awareness of and support for instream water needs has increased - but so have other water demands creating more competition
for this limited resource. For example, industrial, municipal, and agricultural water users are also competing for water.
In 1973, the Colorado Legislature granted authority to hold instream flow water rights. This was necessary because most
water rights are only valid when the water is put to “beneficial use,” in other words, water rights holders must “use it or lose
it.” While the legislature made this change, the law stipulated that instream flows can only be helped by the Colorado Water
Conservation Board and can only protect “minimum flows.” In addition, these rights, like other water rights in the state are
subject to the prior appropriation system. Senior water rights must be met before junior water rights are effective.
OPPORTUNITIES
Most Coloradans, as well as the tourists who visit our state,
value the fact that instream flows help maintain the unique
natural qualities of Colorado. Further, they protect the fish, the
environment, wildlife, and the recreational economy. Details
of ideas and solutions to further the impact of instreams are
discussed in reports such as Facing Our Future: A Balanced
Water Solution for Colorado, and Trout Unlimited’s A Dry
Legacy. These opportunities include:
Medal and wild trout fisheries, Great Outdoors Colorado
priorities).
• Encourage the CWCB to acquire senior water rights.
• Encourage water rights holders to share water through
fallowing, leases and interuptable supply agreements.
• Operate storage facilities to help maintain instream flows at
• Support for water conservation measures to reduce the
critical times of the year.
impact of increasing demand
• Use the NCNA priorities to help plan projects around instream
• Prioritize river segments in need of instream flows (Gold
values and srategically expand the existing instream flow
program.